And Things Will Never Be the Same
by Penelope Applegate
Summary: "Pregnant. Oh, Spirits above and below. I'm pregnant." When Katara finds herself in a precarious situation, she will realize that she has more support than she ever thought she would. But will married life and motherhood be exactly what she thought it would be?
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

_This can't be happening. Not to me. Not right now. Oh, Spirits._

"It's okay," she says out loud, fists clenched tightly in her lap. "It's... it's going to be fine. I am probably imagining things."

_A second opinion wouldn't hurt._

She hauls herself out of the bed and trudges to the door, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she passes. She takes a step back. Turns sideways. She sees no difference.

"This is all in my head."

She places her hand on the door handle, gives it a determined twist and tug, and makes her way out into the dusty streets of Ba Sing Se.

* * *

The only healer she finds works in a small, dark office on a back alley. The office smells musty and old, but the old woman has a friendly smile. "Up onto the table, my dear. Head on the pillow," the healer, Yoko, instructs.

She sucks in her breath as she lays down. "I just need to be sure," she explains needlessly.

Yoko smiles knowingly. "Of course, dear. Please try to relax."

Another deep breath. _Just relax. Relax._

Yoko gets to work, expertly running her hands up and down the abdomen of the shaking, young girl displayed on her table. She works in silence, her brow furrowed in concentration. Ages seem to pass before she straightens at last, a triumphant smile on her worn face.

"Give your husband my congratulations. You certainly are expecting."

_Husband?_ Her hand flies to the betrothal necklace at her neck. She swallows hard. "Right. My husband." She licks her lips, but her mouth feels like sandpaper. "Yes. Thank you."

Yoko sighs happily, clasping her hands in front of her. "There is no charge for this visit. I could not accept money to deliver such happy news."

Happy. Right. She tries to swallow again, but it feels as if a lump is stuck in her throat. "Um... Thank you. So very much. I... I..."

"Of course, of course my dear. You will be wanting to share the good news." Yoka quickly assists her down from the table. "Well, be on your way. And remember I am always here should you or the baby need anything."

She gulps. "I appreciate your kindness. Yes, we will keep you in mind."

As soon as she steps foot in the street, her knees begin to shake.

_Pregnant. Oh, Spirits above and below. I'm pregnant._


	2. Chapter 1

_**An Unexpected Ally**_

She lay on the bed, staring helplessly up at the ceiling. _Oh, Spirits, please... Please tell me what to do._

"Katara!"

Toph's loud voice shook her from her thoughts. She sat up quickly, vainly wiping at her moist eyes before she realized Toph won't see them anyway. "What?" she demanded, forcing as much irritation in her voice as she could muster.

"Relax, Sugar Queen. I don't intend to bite." Toph's small, curvy frame appeared in Katara's bedroom doorway. "Not as long as you've got some kinda food in this joint somewhere. I'm starved."

Katara made the mistake of putting her bare feet on the floor, moving to stand and direct Toph to the kitchen. Toph's eyebrow raised in suspicion. "What are you hiding, Sugar Queen?"

Katara glared at Toph resentfully, slipping past her and stalking towards the kitchen. "I'm fine. What do you want to eat?"

Toph scrambled to catch up with her. "Wait, wait, wait a minute. I wanna know just what's going on with you first."

"Could you just drop it, please?" Katara demanded icily. The last person she wanted to share this with right then was Toph. No, she considered, that would be Aang.

"No way. I can tell this is good," Toph said, shaking her head. "Something has got you all messed up. And I'm going to find out eventually, so save me some work and just tell me. How bout it?"

Katara collapsed in defeat in a kitchen chair. "I don't... I can't..."

Toph folded her arms in front of her, tapping her foot impatiently. "Well just spit it out. That's easy enough."

Katara cast her eyes to the floor. "I'm pregnant," she mumbled.

"Come again?"

"I said, I'm pregnant!" Katara shouted in irritation, then slapped a hand over her mouth. Toph's jaw dropped, and her arms fell limp at her side.

"You... what?" Toph exclaimed. Katara nodded her head miserably in confirmation. "Well whose is it?"

"Who else?" Katara scoffed indignantly. "Aang's! Do I look like some whore to you?"

"Geez, sorry!" Toph backtracked, throwing her hands up in front of her defensively. "I didn't mean to offend. I figured it was just a standard question." Katara sighed and hung her heat. Toph eyed her carefully for a moment before speaking again. "Well. What are you two going to do?"

Another sigh from Katara as she placed her elbow on the table in front of her, resting her head in her hands. "I don't know," she admitted in a small voice. "He's away with Zuko, in another part of the Earth Kingdom, trying to squash some rebellion. I can't... I shouldn't..."

"Try to contact him? Tell him that his 15-year-old Avatar self is going to be a father in about nine months?"

"He's almost 16," Katara interjected defensively.

"Oh, excuse me. Big difference, there. At least he'll be of marrying age once the kid is born."

"You are _not _helping," Katara said through gritted teeth.

"I'm just saying, he'd probably like to know. Soon. He won't be back for two months otherwise, according to the plan, and by then you'll be, what? Three, four months?"

"Five months," Katara corrected her quietly.

"Five!" Toph yelled. "You mean you've been keeping this secret for three months?"

Katara shook her head. "No. I just found out today. I mean, my courses have never been absolutely regular. Ever. I thought... I don't know. I thought they would come. I hoped. But I saw a healer today."

"Yeah, I guess she crushed that hope," Toph observed wryly.

"Toph!"

"What? Excuse me for stating the obvious!"

And then it happened. Before she realized, before she could stop herself, she began to cry. The tears came in torrents, bringing on loud hiccupy sobs, shaking her shoulders violently.

"Oh, man. Oh geez. Now I've made a pregnant lady cry." Toph sighed. She crossed the room, dragging her feet as she went, and put an arm around Katara's shoulder awkwardly. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it will work out. I bet Aang... is... uh... excited... about a, uh... baby..."

Katara's sobs worsened. She didn't want to think what Aang would say when he found out. "I can't... I can't tell him yet," she choked out. "I can't..."

"Okay, okay. We won't tell him. We won't tell anybody. Deal," Toph said resignedly. "I'll help you keep this secret, Sugar Queen. But you owe me. Big time."

Katara couldn't help but laugh at that. She placed a grateful hand over Toph's. "Thank you. I really do appreciate it."

"Yeah yeah," Tophi sighed. "Just don't get all mushy on me. And don't go spreadin it around, my soft side."

Katara laughed through the tears again. "Okay. Deal."

**So I wanted to write this for the fun of it. And no worries... Once I get my laptop charger, I'll get back to Water/Air, Sea/Earth, and Fire/Fire (:**


	3. Chapter 2

_**An Unexpected Visitor**_

Once she realized she really was pregnant, she recognized the morning sickness for what it was. One morning, while brushing her teeth, she gagged on her toothbrush and had to run to the nearest wastebasket. She just barely made it. Another time, Toph had made stewed sea prunes in attempt to make her feel better, but the smell alone had her running outside to lose her lunch.

Nighttime was the time when she missed Aang the most. She would lie in bed, one hand on her ever swelling belly, and stare out the window, up at the stars, wondering where he was and if he was missing her, too. Her heart ached for him; she longed to have him near her, to comfort her and tell her that they would work it out together.

A few times, she briefly considered writing home, but what would she tell her father and Gran-Gran? _I know you raised us better, but I had sex before marriage - just once! But once was enough to get myself pregnant. And now I'm having Aang's baby, and I have no idea what to do._ She imagined that would go over _really_ well.

In the meantime, she hated having nothing to do, so she took Iroh up on his offer to give her a job in the tea shop. Toph went along with her. Something about Katara being pregnant had set off the sturdy little earthbender. Now she considered Katara her responsibility and was studious in her efforts to protect her pregnant friend during Aang's absence. Katara didn't mind, though. She liked Toph's company.

So Toph waited tables, and Katara washed dishes. Toph insisted she have a stool on which to sit while she worked, despite Katara's protests that she did not want to draw too much of Iroh's attention. In the end, Toph won, which wasn't really much of a surprise.

In exchange for their work, they received a little extra spending money and free tea, as well as somewhere to go during the long winter days.

It was on a seemingly random and uneventful day that they received an unexpected visitor. Katara was in the back waterbending some dishes clean when she heard an all too familiar voice echoing into the kitchen.

"Now, I heard that this tea shop is the greatest in all of Ba Sing Se. I sure hope you live up to your reputation."

Katara dropped the water back into the sink, hastily wiping her hands on her apron, and ran out into the dining room. "Sokka!" she cried.

Her brother greeted her with a large grin. "Katara," he said, holding his arms to catch his eager sister as she crashed into him. "Whoa, there. I missed you, too," he chuckled.

Katara burrowed herself in her brother's arms, inhaling deeply to bathe herself in his smell. He wasn't Aang, but he was family and one of her best friends. "It's been too long," she mumbled into his tunic.

"That it has... Wait a minute... Sis... Are you crying?"

Katara quickly wiped her face on her sleeve. Stupid pregnancy hormones. "No," she lied.

"Is everything okay?" her brother pressed, not believing her for a second.

Katara nodded feebly. "I'm fine."

Sokka shook his head. "No you're not. Iroh?" he called behind the counter. "Do you mind if I borrow my sister for the rest of the day?"

"She works hard," Iroh observed sagely with a nod of his gray head. "She deserves a break."

Sokka thanked the older man and practically dragged his sister into the street. Katara immediately attempted a subject change. "Where's Suki?" she asked.

"Visiting an old friend. And don't try to change the subject. We have catching up to do."

Katata realized Sokka was leading her in the direction of her and Aang's house. "Okay," she agreed wearily. But Sokka, thankfully, did not pursue the subject until they had reached the house and were settled down in the kitchen with cups of tea.

"So, my dear sister," Sokka began, "what has been bothering you?"

Katara briefly considered how she should share the news with her brother. She knew she ought to go easy on him.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted, gripping her cup tightly.

Sokka's mouthful of tea flew across the room. Katara knew that would be a fun mess to clean up later.

"You WHAT?" he exploded.

"I know," Katara agreed miserably, carefully studying her teacup as if it might give her all the answers.

"B-b-but... who? I mean... what...? Where is Aang?" he sputtered, quite obviously flabbergasted.

"Away. With Zuko. Saving the world again," she sighed. "I haven't told him."

"It _is_ his, right?"

"Sokka!"

"Hey, I'm just making sure!" Sokka defended himself, throwing his hands in the air. "If you're gonna kill a guy, you gotta make sure he's guilty first."

Katara's icy blue eyes bore into Sokka's skull. "You will do _no such thing_ to the father of my child, do you hear me?" she commanded coldly.

"All right! Fine! Geesh. I won't," Sokka agreed moodily. "I won't get pleasure from breaking all of his fingers... Ow!" He rubbed the shin his sister had solidly kicked under the table. "I'll stop!"

Katara felt the fight drain from her as she let out a weary sigh. "I just... I don't know what to do, Sokka. It was just that once... and it was a stupid mistake - we hadn't planned it, I swear!"

Sokka held up his hand. "I believe you. Don't worry. But have you even told him yet?" The guilty look on Katara's face was answer enough. "You need to tell him," Sokka said firmly. "I don't care where he is."

Katara shook her head stubbornly. "No. I won't interrupt his mission for something so stupid. He needs to concentrate on his work."

"Oh, bull, Katara!" Sokka dismissed her excuses with a wave of his hand. "Just admit you're afraid to tell him. And then get it over with and _tell him_."

Katara purposefully avoided her brother's pointed gaze. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment.

"How far are you?" Sokka asked at last.

"Four months," Katara admitted shamefully.

"Four!" Sokka cried. "Do you know how furious I'd be if Suki waited that long to tell me?" Katara shrugged noncommittally. "Well, when will he be back?"

Katara swallowed hard. "Another month."

Sokka slammed his fist on the table. "NO. Unacceptable. He needs to come home _now_ and accept responsibility for his actions."

"Sokka, I understand what you're saying, but you need to understand my side. This is my decision, and I have chosen not to tell him until he comes home. You need to respect that." Katara cleared her throat to punctuate her argument.

Sokka jumped to his feet. "Fine, Katara. You do what you want. If you want to make such a stupid, irrational mistake, be my guest. I'm going to find Suki."

With that, he turned and stormed out of the house, leaving a very tired and very uncertain Katara in his wake.

* * *

It was almost a week later that Katara found herself alone in the house, sweeping the kitchen after dinner while Sokka, Suki, and Toph went out for dessert. She was too tired to even consider stepping foot out of the house.

A noise at the front of the house caught her attention. She knew it was too soon for the trio to be getting back. She dropped the broom, waterbending some a stream from the sink to coat her arms, and stepped around the corner and into the hallway. Silence. And then she heard someone fumbling with the door.

Her heart jumped into her throat, but she crept into the foyer and assumed an offensive position. Slowly, the front door creaked open, and she lunged forward to attack.

"Hey! Whoa, wait a minute!"

The water came crashing down around her as she froze in place. "Aang?" she said disbelievingly.

He grinned. "Honey. I'm home."

She did not hesitate before rushing forward and falling into his open arms. "Oh, Spirits, I've missed you!" she cried, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him tightly to her. "I've missed you so much!"

Aang sighed happily. "I missed you, too, Katara. You have no idea." After a moment's warm embrace, he gently pushed her away and held her at arm's length. "But I got an urgent letter from Sokka that said I had to come home now. What was that about?" She saw the worry and the concern etched across his features.

Katara bit her lip nervously. "Aang... we need to talk."

* * *

**In the words of the sexiest Jedi ever... "This is where the fun begins."**


	4. Chapter 3

_**Unexpected News**_

"Are you hurt? Is something wrong?"

Katara allowed herself a brief smile at his questions. Always worried, always concerned about her well-being. "No. I'm not hurt," she assured him, laying a hand on his arm. "It's... nothing like that." Her mind was beginning to wrap around the idea that Sokka had gone behind her back. She'd have to discuss that with him later. But for now...

"Well what is it?" Aang pressed, his voice heavy with worry. "I'm sure Sokka wouldn't pull me away for nothing... right?"

Katara shifted her weight uneasily. "Do you want to settle in first? Put your stuff down, get situated?" she stalled, but to no avail.

Aang shook his head firmly. "I want to know. Just tell me."

She took a deep breath. "All right. But come up to your room. And sit with me."

He relented and allowed her to guide him to his bed chambers. She could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head as she walked in front of him. Her heart began to race. She closed the door behind them when they entered his room and led him to the bed, taking a seat next to him.

"I need to know, first... Do you love me?" she began uncertainly.

Aang gave her an incredulous stare. "Is that a serious question?"

"Aang, please."

"Okay, sorry. I love you with all my heart and soul, Katara. You should know that," he promised earnestly. "There is no one else above you."

She'd heard it before, but it still shook her to the core to hear him explain his feelings for her in such a way. "Thank you... I mean..." She sighed. "Aang... I'm scared," she whispered, clasping his hand in hers.

A look of alarm crossed his face. "What are you trying to tell me? Have you... Is there someone else?"

"NO!" Katara dropped his hand and jumped to her feet. "How could you even _think_ that?" she demanded strickenly. "How could you-"

Aang hurried to his feet and took her in his arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Katara," he quickly apologized. "I just... I couldn't imagine what could scare you so..."

Her swinging emotions began to get the best of her. She felt tears coming on. Again. "Aang... I'm pregnant," she lamented into his shoulder.

She felt his body stiffen against her. "Wh... what?"

She pulled away from him, avoiding his eyes. "I thought... I don't know, I hoped my courses would continue as usual, but they didn't, and then I saw a healer and I..."

"Wait a minute," he interrupted her ramble. "We only... were together that one time. And that was..." He did quick mental math. "That was almost five months ago."

Still avoiding his gaze, she nodded slowly. "Yes. I am almost five months along."

He made a sound as if he'd taken a hit to the chest and fell back onto the bed. "Five... months... And you... you're just now telling me?"

"I didn't realize until after you left!" she cried, wringing her hands anxiously. "I just didn't pay attention, I guess-"

"How could you not _notice_?" he demanded, almost accusingly.

Katara bit back the tears. "I don't know... I don't know, I just..." She hung her head, inundated with the feeling of helplessness and the ever increasing weight on her shoulders. "I don't know," she echoed faintly.

Aang pressed his hand to his forehead. "I mean... geez, Katara. This... this is kind of a huge deal!"

"I know!" she wailed.

"I mean, do you understand what this means for us? Do you know what we'll have to do? I mean, this is_life-altering_! And it's..." He scowled and let out a long breath. "Five months. Five long months, Katara."

With his disappointed tone of voice and bitter words, she could take no more. She promptly burst into tears.

Aang was dumbfounded. He'd only seen Katara cry a handful of times, and never once during an argument. He'd had water, even icicles, and other nearby objects thrown at him, but she never cried. Ever.

His face softened visibly. "Hey," he said, reaching an arm out and pulling her to him. She fell into his arms, trembling helplessly from the sobs. He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I just... Wow. You really surprised me. But I do wish you had told me sooner."

She waited a moment before answering, struggling to regain control. "I'm sorry, too. I just didn't want to bother you. You've had a lot on your plate lately, and I-"

"No." He shook his head firmly. "You are never a bother. If something is going on, I need to know. Let me decide for myself how to handle it. Okay?"

She nodded her agreement. "Okay."

He exhaled slowly. "But for now... We need to figure out what we're going to do." He led her back to the bed and sat her next to him. "Have you told your family?"

She shook her head. "No. Only Sokka knows. And Toph. And probably Iroh." She managed a wry smile. "Nothing gets past that man."

"So are we going to tell them?" he asked gently.

Katara gave a weary shrug. "I know I have to tell them... They'll find out anyway. I just don't know... What would I say?" She looked up at Aang with an almost pleading expression, hoping he would have all the answers.

Aang responded with a wide eyed stare. "I don't know, either. I mean, I've never been in this situation."

Neither had she, obviously. She hung her head. "I just wish..." The silence finished her thought for her.

"That we never had sex?" he read her mind aloud.

She shook her head. "No. And yes. I mean, it was by no means horrible. It was..." She looked up into his questioning eyes and sighed. "It was perfect. But we weren't ready for the consequences."

Aang couldn't argue with that statement. "We're not. Not right now. But we'll get there."

"Aang, we... you... We're not old enough to get married."

He smiled ruefully. "You mean I'm not. You are." He was right; she just hadn't wanted to seem rude. "And even if we were," he went on, "we could get married today, and people would still know. It would make no difference."

"That's true, but..." She shook her head. "It would still be a good idea."

He took her hands in his and squeezed tightly. "Katara, if I could marry you right this instant, I would do it with no hesitation whatsoever. I know I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with you."

His heartfelt words warmed her insides. "I know. I feel the same way."

He looked down at their hands for a moment, lost deep in thought. "Maybe... maybe we should visit them. Your family, I mean. They deserve to know. You don't want them to hear it through gossip."

She knew he was right. That didn't make it any easier to hear. "Yes. We should." She sighed in defeat. "Then that's what we will do."

"I'll be with you every step of the way, Katara. I promise," he pledged earnestly, rubbing the back of her hand gently with his thumb. "I'll be whatever you need me to be."

She nodded her thanks, feeling her stomach churn at the thought of having to explain everything to her father. She thought again of that fateful night, the only night they had been so close, so intimate. If only they had known what would come of it...

* * *

**Well the hard part is over. Or IS it?... :)**


	5. Chapter 4

_**An Unexpected Rendezvous**_

_**(High-T, borderline M. That's your warning.)**_

_It had been a long day. There had been a summit meeting that lasted for the better part of the day. Katara had gone with Aang because he'd asked her to, and when he smiled down at her with those beautiful gray eyes, it was impossible to say no. The meeting itself, however, was tediously horrible and boring. Quite a few times, she had nearly fallen asleep. Every few minutes, he would squeeze her hand and grin, and she would immediately be awake._

_At long last, it was over. They walked in companionable silence, hand in hand, back to Aang's house on the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. These were her favorite moments with Aang, just the two of them and no one else. Sure, the streets were crowded and noisy, but it felt as if they were all alone._

_"Hey." He stopped suddenly, just in front of the house, and turned her to him. "What do you say we just get lost tonight?"_

_She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Get lost?" she repeated skeptically._

_He nodded, nuzzling her neck as he whispered softly in her ear, "Yes. Just you and me."_

_Her heart skipped a beat as the desire inside her built to a peak. "Okay," she agreed shakily._

_It didn't take him long to ready Appa and throw some picnic supplies in the saddle. Katara ran upstairs to her bed chamber to change into something less formal, a loosely flowing dress and flat shoes. She let her hair down, knowing Aang loved the way it fell across her shoulders. She smiled nervously at herself in the mirror and rushed down to meet Aang._

_He had also changed from his formal robes into his regular Air Nomad garb and was waiting at Appa's feet to help her up into the saddle. As they lifted off into the air, she felt her heart leap into her throat. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the sensation of flying. Aang smiled at her and squeezed her hand._

_Katara wasn't sure where they were headed, but she snuggled closer to her boyfriend and slipped her arm through his. The cool air whirled around her, surrounding the pair as they traveled in silence._

_It took half an hour to reach their destination. It came into sight a few moments before they reached it. She saw a veritable osasis, with tall trees and lush grass surrounding a small pond littered with turkey ducks. "How did you find this?" she questioned breathlessly._

_Another grin from Aang. "Easy. I'm the Avatar," he bragged casually with a shrug of his shoulders._

_They landed in a clearing near the pond. Aang helped Katara down before tending to Appa, getting him settled and feeding him. Katara immediately began surveying their surroundings. Turkey ducks scattered as she neared the pond. She kicked off her shoes and dipped her toes in the cool water, swirling the water beneath her._

_She felt arms around her from behind and leaned back into Aang. "I love you," he whispered. A shiver raced down her spine._

_"I saw the saddle loaded down with supplies. Did you bring food?" She wriggled out of his grasp and turned towards Appa, who lay comfortably in the shade of trees, munching lazily on his meal._

_Aang followed her to where Appa lay. "Yes, I did. I think I did good with packing dinner." She helped him retrieve their supplies and carry them closer to the pond. Together, they spread the large, soft blanket on the ground and began to unpack the food. Aang had brought cold rice and cold tea along with a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and some bread rolls._

_Katara settled in next to Aang and grabbed a mango, slicing it with a knife Aang had brought along. "Thank you," she said, "for all of this. I think we really needed a break."_

_"We did," Aang agreed. "Thank you for coming with me. To the meeting, I mean. I know it was awful."_

_Katara smiled, cutting off a nice sized chunk of the mango. "I never mind spending the day with you." She fed him the mango and watched his eyes widen in surprise. His posture relaxed as he accepted the fruit._

_"That was hot," he said after swallowing. He leaned in to kiss her, nibbling at her lower lip until she parted her lips and allowed room for his tongue. He tasted sweet, just like mango. She suddenly felt very lightheaded and pulled away quickly._

_"Um... you're welcome," she said nervously. "Care for a roll?"_

_He smiled and allowed for her abrupt subject change. They finished the meal without further incident, though simply being in such close proximity overwhelmed her senses at times. And just the smell of him... Everything about him appealed to every one of her senses._

_They packed up the food and returned the basket to Appa's settle. "I'm not ready to go. Are you?" Aang asked, taking her hand in his._

_Her heart fluttered, and her mouth went dry. "No," she whispered._

_"Let's go hang out by the pond a little while longer." Aang glanced at Appa, who had already fallen asleep. "Appa looks pretty comfortable, anyway."_

_Katara suppressed a laugh. "He sure looks cozy, all right."_

_The couple made their way back to the water's edge and settled on the blanket again. Aang sat in a reclining position with Katara leaning against his chest. They watched the turkey ducks fighting over something in the water. One of the smaller ducks got dunked and quacked angrily, nipping a larger duck on the tail feather. Katara laughed as they splashed and fought._

_"Reminds me of me and Sokka when we were younger," she reminisced. "I guess you never really grow out of it."_

_Aang didn't answer. She looked up to see him gazing down at her with an intensity that sent her heart pounding into her throat. "I love you, Katara," he said. And then he leaned down to kiss her again. His warm mouth felt so familiar and yet so intoxicating. His fingers found her cheek, caressing her skin softly, before moving to rest at her neck. She felt something new in his kiss, something urgent and strong and overwhelming. It scared her, and she pulled away from him._

_"What are you doing?" she demanded, struggling to regulate her breathing._

_"I love you," he said simply. "And you love me, right?" She nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "I just want to show you how much I love you." She looked up into his warm, gray eyes and began to melt. "Do you want to stop?"_

_A million voices were screaming in Katara's head, telling her no, telling her to stop, telling her to get up and go home. But her attraction to Aang was much stronger. "No," she admitted. "But I... I've never..."_

_He smiled down at her. "Me neither." He leaned down and kissed her neck. "But right now, there's no one else I'd rather be with in this entire world."_

_His words heated her straight to her very core, and his warm breath on her neck sent shivers down her spine. "Aang, I..."_

_"Shhh..." He leaned her back until her head hit the soft blanket and hovered over her. "I love you, Katara."_

_Her heart skipped a beat. "I love you, too."_

_He traced her cheek with his finger, studying her face intently. She watched him in silence, a million thoughts racing through her mind. And then he kissed her again. She lost her breath as he ran his hands down her side, tugging gently at her skirt._

_She grabbed his hand. "Don't... Don't rush, okay?"_

_He nodded and smiled. "I won't rush."_

_Their mouths met again, and she allowed herself to get lost in his kiss. Her head was spinning, but she felt perfectly grounded. He kept his promise, moving slowly, stopping when she felt uncomfortable and waiting for her to give him the go-ahead. When they were both at last de-robed, she only felt the slightest bit awkward, which was amazing in itself for someone as self conscious as Katara._

_And inevitably, they connected. The pain was so blinding, she saw stars. He pulled back at her strangled cry. "Are you okay?" he asked nervously._

_She nodded, though she felt tears building in the corners of her eyes. "It... It's going to hurt. Just go slow."_

_He suddenly seemed unsure. "I don't know, Katara..."_

_"It's already too late! Just... Please." She took a deep breath and calmed herself._

_Aang kissed her forehead gently. "Okay," he said. "Slow."_

_She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, biting on her hand to keep from crying out. After a while, the pain began to subside, and a new, strange sensation took its place. Her eyes widened in surprise as she gasped._

_"I'm sorry - did I hurt you?" Aang pulled away quickly._

_"No. No." She shook her head fervently. "Don't stop." She pulled him down to her chest again, and he obliged._

_His breathing became very rough. "Katara... I can't hold myself back much longer..."_

_"Then don't."_

_He gladly accepted her open invitation and picked up the pace. Her heart began to race as the pressure inside her began to build. Suddenly, it released in a blinding explosion of intense feeling. She cried out at the same time as Aang and knew they had reached their peak together._

_They lay there together, breathing heavily as they stared in amazement into each other's eyes. "I..." Katara's brow furrowed as she felt yet another strange sensation in her lower region. "I think you should move."_

_"Why...?" He did as told, sitting up and scooting away from her._

_She gathered the blankets around her, covering herself. "Because I'm a virgin, Aang - or I was - and now I'm bleeding."_

_Aang's eyes widened in horrified surprise. "Was it me? Spirits, Katara, I'm so sorry..."_

_"No," she corrected him. "It's just... what happens." She suddenly felt very awkward. "You haven't had much sex education... have you?"_

_Aang blushed furiously and grabbed his shirt, tugging it over his head. "The monks didn't exactly discuss that subject much," he muttered, hanging his head._

_She sighed. This wasn't how she expected things to go. "I guess not." She put a reassuring hand on his arm. "You... You were amazing."_

_He looked up at her with more than a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Really?"_

_Not that she had much to which she could compare the experience... "Yes," she said firmly. "You were. And... I still love you." If she were totally honest with herself, it seemed like a lot of effort and fuss over something that was initially quite painful and ended pretty decently but didn't leave her feeling much more fulfilled than before. But she would never, ever tell him that._

_He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "You were perfect, Katara. I love you, too."_

_"Aang... Can we go home? I think I'd like to take a bath."_

_Aang nodded, offering his hand to her. "Yeah. I'll help you up."_

_She declined the gesture. "Thanks, but I... Give me a minute to get dressed. I'll meet you at Appa."_

_He looked down at her for a moment in uncertain insecurity, but then he shook his head and began to gather his own clothes. "Okay. See you in a minute."_

_Later, as Katara settled into a warm bath, she couldn't help but think that while she wouldn't regret what she had done, she probably wouldn't be repeating the experience any time soon._

_

* * *

_

**Thus ends probably the only lemony lime of the entire story.**

**And I don't much think I'm going to bother updating this for a while due to lack of reviews, which translates into lack of interest, and all that jazz.**

**At any rate, special shoutout to PandaLily22, Crystal, HarryPotterFangirl4ever, Ordgar, and AangKatara777 for your reviews :) Y'all rockkk.**


	6. Chapter 5

_**Unexpected Movement**_

Katara went to bed before everyone got home that evening. This was yet another side effect of pregnancy - she was _always_ tired. She hated not having the energy to do anything anymore. This pregnancy was taking over her body and turning her into a completely different person. A sleepy, grumpy, weepy person. It was awful.

The next morning, however, she was awake before everyone else. She assumed Aang had probably stayed up for everyone else's return. It had been a while since he'd seen Sokka, Suki, and Toph. They had all probably stayed up until the wee hours of morning catching up, so it would make sense that she was the first to rise.

She made her way down to the kitchen to put on some tea. Since becoming pregnant, she was craving tea all day _every_ day. She wondered if that would having something to do with her work at the tea shop. She sighed and shook her head, realizing she'd have to tell Iroh she was going to take an extended leave of absence from her job. Hopefully, he wouldn't miss her and Toph's help too terribly.

Leaving the kettle on the stove to boil, she took a seat at the table and buried her head in her hands. Everything was happening so fast. She was almost five months pregnant. That meant less than five months before the baby came. And if the baby was early... Well, she didn't want to consider that prospect.

The kettle whistled, and she stood to pour herself a cup of tea, her thoughts still running wildly. Would she even be ready in time? Sure, it was easy to buy baby supplies and gather those sort of things, but what kind of mother would she make? Her friends teased her, calling her the mother hen, but it would surely be much different with an _infant_ of her own. At the very least, she would have Aang with her... or so she hoped. Who knew when the unstable world might beckon again, pulling him away from her for another set of weeks or months?

She leaned back in the chair and placed her hands on her swollen abdomen. "I wish I could give you so much more," she whispered to the small being growing inside her womb. "I wish we had waited..."

Then she felt it. A small nudge, so small she barely noticed it. And then a much stronger kick. She gasped in surprise and spread her palms across her stomach, but no further movement came.

A noise from behind her startled her. She turned to see Sokka entering the room. "Hey," he said rather sheepishly, scratching at the back of his head.

She frowned. "You had no business doing what you did, Sokka," she said sharply, dropping her hands into her lap.

Sokka sighed heavily and plopped down in the chair next to her. "I know..."

"I should punch you in the nose right now," she added with a sniff. "But I don't have the energy. You should be glad."

Sokka gave her a wry smile. "I think you're glad he's back."

Katara pursed her lips in attempt to hide her smile. "Even if I was, he didn't deserve to be interrupted. He may have been in the middle of something-"

"But he _wanted_ to come home," Sokka interrupted gently. "And I think he's glad he's back, too. I think he's glad to know."

She looked down, avoiding his gaze, and bit her lip. "You think he's happy...?"

Sokka paused before answering. "I don't know. I mean, yeah, I guess it's good news, even if it is really... you know... _early_. I think he would have liked to have been married first, to be a little older... but sometimes life just throws things at you, and you have to run with it."

Katara scoffed. "Life didn't throw this at us. We went looking for it."

Sokka shrugged. "Yeah, well. You said it, not me."

She looked up at her big brother helplessly. "We're going to go home. We're going to tell Dad. Sokka... what am I going to do?"

He gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment, then scooted his chair closer and took her hands in his. "I'll be right there with you. Don't you worry about that. And Dad loves you too - more than I do. He might be disappointed, but he's still going to love you. And if he's mad... well... I just know it won't last forever. Okay? That's what you have to focus on. This... all of this stress and anxiety..." He waved one hand about the room to emphasize. "This won't last forever. It will get better. One day, you'll look back and laugh at how scared you are right now."

Katara gave him a disbelieving smile. "If you say so, Sokka. And Sokka?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," she said sincerely, leaning over and throwing her arms around her big brother's neck. He sighed into her hair as he hugged her back.

"That's what family is for, Katara. I'll always be here."

"I know. I just like to be reminded," she said with a smile.

"Come on, can we save the mushy gushy crap for after breakfast? I'm starving, here."

The pair separated and turned to see Toph standing in the doorway, one finger digging ear wax out of her ear. Katara laughed at the sight.

"Don't ever change, Toph," she giggled as she got to her feet and prepared to start breakfast.

"Don't plan on it," Toph replied, but she smiled as she crossed the floor and unceremoniously dumped herself in the chair Katara had just vacated.

"Is anyone else awake?" Katara asked as she began searching through the cupboards for something to make.

"I think I heard Suki getting up. You know Twinkletoes will be down anytime soon. He can smell awake Katara," she teased.

"Very funny, Toph," Katara retorted with false grumpiness.

As if summoned, both Suki and Aang appeared in the doorway a mere moment later. "What's for breakfast?" Suki yawned as she made her way over to Sokka.

Katara shrugged, shutting the last cupboard. "I don't know. We're kinda running low on food. I forgot to go to the market yesterday," she admitted sheepishly.

"Why don't we go out for breakfast?" Aang suggested. "My treat."

Sokka rolled his eyes dramatically. "Oh, sure, it's easy to treat when you're the Avatar. Everybody gives you everything for free!"

Aang grinned, but he didn't deny Sokka's claim. "Well, if you're not interested in eating..."

"Wait a minute, I never said _that_!" Sokka protested immediately. "I'm all for it! Last one ready is a stinky bull pig!"

* * *

They left for the South Pole two days later, after much hurried packing and last minute preparations. Iroh was completely understanding when Katara came to him to announce their departure. He smiled knowingly and patted her on the shoulder. "I hope you find what you are looking for, Master Katara," he said sagely. For a moment, she wondered if she should tell him, but she thought it would be unfair if he knew before her own father did, so she kept quiet.

The baby was beginning to shift more often now. She couldn't quite feel it if she placed her hands on her stomach, but she could definitely feel the stirring from inside her womb. She hadn't shared this with anyone yet; it felt rather nice to have a secret all her own, between just her and her baby.

As the last week or two had been relatively easy on her stomach, Katara had thought the morning sickness was all but done. Unfortunately, as soon as they lifted off on Appa's back, she had the sudden urge to lean over the side of the saddle and hurl.

"Are you okay?" Suki asked worriedly, placing a hand on her back.

Katara kept one hand over her mouth and one on her stomach. "I'm fine. I'll be okay."

Aang overheard and turned to see Katara's discomfort. "Sokka, take the reins, would ya?" he requested, and Sokka complied agreeably. Aang hopped down and settled in beside Katara. "Are you going to be all right?"

She nodded slowly, and the motion alone sent her stomach into her throat. She swallowed hard before speaking. "I'll be okay... It's just... the motion..."

Aang wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. "Here. Try to sleep. That might make you feel better." He sighed. "It's a long trip, Katara. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

She nodded again, breathing his scent in deeply. "I'll be fine." _As long as I'm in your arms..._ she added silently before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**SO they're on their way. I was gonna have a huge Katara/Sokka confrontation, but since he ended up catching her off guard so early in the morning, I figured she probably wouldn't feel up to a big fight. It's funny how your characters just seem to take you places... (And to clear up the confusion, yes, the last chapter was a flashback.)**

**Anyway. I think I kinda got my muse back... but only a little. She's still being rather mean to me. I think I overworked her, and now she's a bitter and spiteful old thing. If I was smart, I'd just stop talking about her, because she's especially sensitive, too.**

**Thanks for all the reviews though! Wow, what interest! That was certainly unexpected : ) Although my threat had the desired results, I suppose. Ahh well. Just keep them reviews coming! They keep me motivated, and they make my muse happy. More reviews (good or bad) make the muse work. And last time I got 8. Let's aim higher this time, shall we? Normally I'm not mean like that, but I've got a lot of stories going at once, so I place priority on the ones that seem to be more interesting.**


	7. Chapter 6

_**An Unexpected Arrival**_

She watched as the glaciers of ice became more frequent and felt the air turn frigid. They had not much farther to go. On one hand, she was anxious to be home again; it had been months since she had laid eyes on the frozen arctic tundra. On the other hand... her _father_. What would he say? She had been trying her hardest not to imagine what reaction he might have to the news of her pregnancy.

Aang turned to her in the saddle and gave her a reassuring smile, as if he could see right through her and read her thoughts. She wanted to be comforted by him - she really did - but in all honesty, he was in just as deep as she was. His reassurance wasn't much help to her. Not that she'd ever tell him that.

They landed in the late afternoon, just outside the modest Water Tribe village. Aang led Appa along as they walked through the snow. Not a single one of them breathed a word, almost as if they were afraid to break the silence. They all knew what they'd be facing, even if Katara would be bearing most of the burden.

They were greeted by more than a few villagers who had observed Appa's approach. Everyone was anxious to see the Avatar and his friends, especially Chief Hakoda's son and daughter. Katara was glad for the layers of clothes she wore; it made the bump under her heavy coat less noticeable.

"Is my father home?" she asked an older woman near her.

The woman nodded. "He is at the new palace, helping with the building."

Katara said her thanks and began to drag her friends along with her. The new palace was located at the center of the village, right in the middle of all the action, of course. It was a small building but was beautifully designed with columns of ice surrounding the entrance. Compared to the Northern Water Tribe, it was humble and diminutive, but the Southern Water Tribe villagers hardly minded. The fact that their village was being rebuilt was enough cause for rejoicing.

She found her father directing some of the Waterbenders who were working on the building. "That's great, guys - can we make this room the dining hall? We'll probably need some tables, I imagine. Hey - _you_ - can you work on that for me?" At last, he noticed his daughter and her friends standing in the doorway. "Katara! Sokka!" His voice echoed thunderously as he all but ran across the room, gathering his children up into his arms excitedly. "I've missed you two! Have you seen the palace? Isn't it coming along nicely? It's good to have you guys here."

Sokka grinned up at their dad while Katara smiled sheepishly. "It looks great, Dad. We missed you too," she told him.

"So what brings you guys here?" he asked, looking up to eye the other members of their traveling party. "All of you... Am I missing something?"

Everyone fell silent, looking down at their toes awkwardly. _Just great_, Katara thought. _How incriminating._ She took a deep breath. "Dad... can we... talk?"

He looked down at her with an expression of sincere concern. "Yes..." he answered carefully. "Let me just..." He turned around to address the workers. "Please... keep up the good work. I'll be back in just a moment. I have to catch up with my kids."

He took both Katara and Sokka by the arm and directed them out of the hall. Aang, Suki, and Toph followed obediently as Chief Hakoda led them out of the palace and towards his igloo home. When they reached their destination, Katara turned to her father, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Dad... can we... can you and I talk alone... for a while?"

Hakoda regarded her with more than a slight air of suspicion. "Sure..." he said slowly.

Katara tried not to look at her friends as she pulled the curtain to the side and stepped inside her father's igloo. A small fire in the center of the room served to heat the igloo and was surrounded by wooden furniture covered in pelts. It was just as she remembered it from her last visit. It felt warm. It felt like... home.

She took a seat in a chair close to the fire, and her father followed suit, sitting down across from her. "So, my daughter. What is it you want to talk about?"

Telling Toph had been easy. Even telling Sokka had been relatively easy. Aang... that had been something of a source of anxiety, but this... this was an entirely different story. Telling her father was something she'd long thought she'd never be able to do, but now that moment was upon her... She suddenly felt cold and rubbed her arms self-consciously.

"It must be something," Hakoda prompted when she remained silent. "You wouldn't have come all of this way just to sit with me and look pretty." At his teasing, she couldn't help but crack a smile. She wasn't so sure he'd be in such good humor after she told him.

"Dad," she sighed. "It's... I... I'm sorry."

Hakoda lifted his brow in confusion. "You're sorry?"

She buried her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry, Dad. I'm afraid that I... that I've disappointed you. And I never wanted to..."

"Katara. You're not making much sense, child," he said gently. "What happened?"

"I'm pregnant, Dad," she mumbled.

Silence fell upon the room. She was afraid to lift her head for fear of what she might see.

"What... What did you say?" her father asked incredulously. His voice shook slightly when he spoke.

Katara lifted her head to look at him, finally. "Dad," she whispered, "I'm pregnant."

His face was slack, his eyes emotionless as he stared at Katara. "You... What..."

"Dad, I'm sorry," she said hurriedly. "It was a mistake - I know, and I'm sorry. I never should have... I..."

A look of comprehension dawned on his rugged features. "Aang... You and Aang...?"

She bit her lip as her heart dropped into her toes. "Y...Yes," she confirmed shakily.

"But you're not... you never... He's not even old enough to _marry _you, Katara," he said dumbfoundedly.

"Dad, I know," was her miserable reply as she rubbed her forehead. "I know, I know. I've messed up royally."

Hakoda shook his head in disappointment. "Katara... You... You're not even _ready_ to be a mother. Do you understand how much work that involves? And especially if you're going to do it alone?" By now, he had gotten to his feet and was pacing the room.

"I'm _not_ going to do it alone, Dad!" she protested.

"How do you _know_, Katara? Has he given you a betrothal necklace? You're not even _married_, Katara. You're not even-" He stopped suddenly and turned to look at her. "You've brought shame upon this family, Katara."

"Sh...shame...?" she faltered, a horrible feeling of dread stirring in the pit of her stomach.

"Katara." His face softened, but she could still see the anger and disappointment behind his eyes. "I think you and your friends should leave."

"_Leave_?" she gasped in utter shock.

He nodded slowly. "I won't say anything to anyone else here. But you all need to leave. Immediately."

"Dad, you can't be-"

He gave her a stern look that clearly stated he wanted no argument from his daughter. "I mean it, Katara. As soon as humanly possible, you all need to leave the Southern Water Tribe." With that, he stalked out of the room without so much as sparing her a second glance. She sat in her chair, head spinning, staring in horrified silence at his retreating back.

_Leave_. Her father wanted her to leave. Because she had brought _shame_ upon the family.

"Katara?" She heard Aang's quiet voice before he stepped inside the igloo. The look on his face told her that he'd heard everything. "Katara," he said again when his eyes took in her distressed state. "I'm sorry."

She suddenly couldn't breathe. All she could see was the disappointment - her utter failure - reflected in her father's eyes. An ache began to build deep inside her chest, ripping at her heart and fiercely clenching her lungs. "He... He..." she stammered, unable to form a complete thought.

Aang sat next to her and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry, Katara," he repeated. "But you're not alone. I promise you - I swear on my life - you are _not_ alone."

And then the bitter tears of regret came as she sagged in his arms, once again burying her face in her hands. But no matter how hard she cried, no matter how strongly the sobs shook her body, she could not rid herself of the throbbing ache in her chest.

**So there's differing opinion as to what her father's reaction would be. I think, initially, he'll be shocked and hurt and disappointed, as any parent of a young teenager would be. Especially back in them-there days, old fashioned was the norm. People simply didn't have children out of wedlock - especially not young people. Those who did were labeled sinners and whores and whatnot.**

**So that is the basis of her father's harsh reaction.**

**But is all hope lost? Notttt at all, people. Tune in next time for more ooey, gooey, Kataangy drama. Oh, and thanks for the 6 reviews : ) [CalleighB, MegaPotterBender, PandaLily22, narutogirl64, michaellaax, and aem82 -y'all rock.] Tho some of youse guys are rather slackin in your mackin. It's aight; I'll forgive you.**

**But now that I'm workin on Water/Air, Earth/Sea, Fire/Fire, I'm not sure I'll be updating as frequently, anyway. So if you're lookin for an update, you should go check them out - Water/Air, esp. It's pretty much my baby, my BIG special project, the one that started it all.**

**XOXO, my loves.**


	8. Chapter 7

_**An Unexpected Intervention**_

It only took a few moments for Aang to calm her down. He had that sort of soothing effect on her. She was trying not to focus on the negative. She knew her dad would be disappointed, but he would come around... hopefully. Oh, Spirits, she hoped so.

"Are you ready to face the world again? If you want to leave right now, that's okay with me," Aang offered uncertainly.

Katara nodded numbly. "Yeah... we... that's fine," she said hoarsely.

Just as they stood to leave the igloo, however, someone else entered. The person walked slightly bent over so they could not see her face until she stopped, pulled herself to her full height, and removed her hood.

"Gran-Gran," Katara whispered softly, suddenly feeling as if her knees might give out.

Kanna heaved a slow and heavy sigh before speaking. "I heard your conversation with your father, my dear."

She froze, one hand immediately moving to her abdomen protectively. Her grandmother did not miss this gesture, but her soft blue eyes betrayed nothing.

"Child..." she sighed. "You must understand..."

Katara swallowed hard. "I know. I've brought disgrace upon the family. And shame. I know... I messed up. Big time." She couldn't bear to look into her grandmother's eyes any longer, instead training her eyes on her booted feet.

"He doesn't mean the harsh things he says," Kanna went on. "He loves you very much. But he was certainly not expecting... _this_..."

"Neither was I," Katara protested softly, but she was unable to keep her voice from breaking. "It was only just the once..."

"Yes, my dear. But once is all it takes." An awkward pause ensued, but Katara was still too afraid to look up at her grandmother again. "Please, child, take a seat. Both of you."

Aang took her hand silently and guided her back to her seat. Kanna slowly moved to occupy the seat Hakoda had vacated minutes ago. "In my time... if this had happened to a young lady... she would be shunned. Disowned by her entire family." Katara cringed at her grandmother's words, words she knew full well to be true. "But," Kanna went on, "I have never agreed with such treatment. I think it too harsh a punishment for one very human mistake."

Katara finally glanced up at her grandmother, certain that her shock was fully evident on her face. "Wh...What?"

Kanna smiled lovingly at her granddaughter. "Life as a young mother is hard enough and punishment enough, in my humble old opinion. Dealing with the disgrace is difficult, but you grow and you learn from it." She titled her head to the side as she carefully regarded the pair in front of her. "I know you two love each other. And I know you will try to make this work. You will do what is right, I am sure of it. Your father... he just needs a little more convincing. You just leave that to me.

"I don't want the two of you to go rushing off and leave. I certainly do not want you to feel unwelcome in your own home. And you are so well loved by the village people... they will find a way to understand. But may I make a suggestion?"

Katara, still numb with shock and disbelief, nodded mechanically in response.

"I suggest that you two should marry... very soon."

"But... I'm too young to marry, Miss... ma'am... er..." Aang began to object.

Kanna laughed lightly at the young Avatar's discomfort. "Call me Gran-Gran," she insisted, "please. And you are not too young, Avatar. Not counting your past lives, you are already one hundred fifteen years old. Who could argue with your decision to marry the future mother of your child?"

Neither Katara nor Aang had a rebuttal for that argument. What the elderly lady said made sense. "So... you would bless our... our union...?" Aang asked uncertainly, glancing at Katara and then at Kanna.

The elderly woman nodded sagely. "Of course I would, Avatar. From the moment I met you, I knew that your destinies would be undeniably intertwined. I believe that, perhaps, this is what was meant to be. After all, this might mean the return of the Air Nation. No one in the world, I tell you, could consider that to be bad news."

Katara couldn't sit still any longer. She leapt to her feet and practically threw herself at her grandmother. "Oh Gran-Gran," she cried, "thank you. I... I... _thank_ you. You don't know what this means."

Kanna softly ran her fingers through Katara's hair as she smiled knowingly. "I do, my child. You see, I once had a friend, in my younger years, who found herself with the same problem. I haven't seen her since. That has never sat well with this old woman."

Katara sighed gratefully as the tears began to stream down her cheeks once more. "I love you so much, Gran-Gran."

"I love you, too, Katara. Promise you won't ever forget that."

"I swear I won't," Katara vowed solemnly, wiping at her moist cheeks.

"Good." With a sigh, Kanna carefully helped Katara to her feet and stood next to her. "Now I have to go talk with your father. We have a marriage ceremony to arrange. I will come for you once things have been sorted out. Understand?"

Katara nodded her agreement. Until she heard from Kanna, she was to stay put. "Thank you again, Gran-Gran," she expressed her gratitude once more. "I mean really. Thank you so much."

"My pleasure, my dear." She pressed a soft kiss to Katara's forehead before moving past her granddaughter to take Aang's hand in her own. "And congratulations to you, as well, Master Avatar. This, indeed, is happy news. Please do not lose sight of that fact."

With those final wise words, she was gone. Katara stared at Aang in amazed disbelief, as if she could hardly believe _that_ conversation had actually just transpired. He nodded his head and smiled encouragingly before stepping closer to her and taking her into his arms. "Everything is going to be okay. Didn't I tell you?"

Katara nodded but still couldn't quite work her mind around her incredulity. It seemed impossible. A moment ago, she felt like her life was about to come to an end... and now... now there was... _hope_?

They were interrupted by the entrance of yet _another_ person - this time, her brother.

"Well," he said. "_That_... was interesting."

"To say the least!" Katara scoffed, her head still spinning.

Aang smiled and kissed her cheek. "I'm going outside to check on the others. I'll be right here if you need me." He squeezed her gloved hand, and she immediately wished she could feel his bare fingers against her own.

After he left, Sokka crossed the room and pulled her into an embrace. "Aang's right. It's all going to be okay."

Katara smirked at his words. "There's a lot of nosy people around here today."

Her brother shrugged noncommittally. "Hey, thin walls." He sat down and pulled Katara with him. "I told you it would get better, didn't I? Not that I expected it to happen so soon..."

She shook her head. "Me neither, honestly. I'm still... floored. I mean, Gran-Gran! Of all people!" she exclaimed.

Sokka grinned. "Our grandmother is a pretty awesome person, you know. Don't act so surprised."

"I mean, no... I'm not... I just... Wow. I just didn't expect _her_ to come to my defense. I mean, _you_, maybe, but her... That's just not what I expected."

"What do you mean _me_, maybe?" he interjected, insulted.

"Well, I mean, _you_, of course, yeah," she corrected herself with a smile. "I know you care, Sokka. Trust me."

He rewarded her acknowledgment with another grin. "We all care, Katara. Just in our own ways."

"I know," she admitted with a sigh. "It's just... this is all so complicated, I... I never imagined it going this far when I..."

He held up a hand to stop her. "Please. Spare me the gory details. I get it."

She looked up at him quizzically, suddenly bothered by an idea she hadn't previously considered. "Have you and Suki...?"

Sokka's brow furrowed. "No!" he exclaimed. "No, we haven't! We... we were waiting for..."

Katara blushed in shame. "Oh."

"But..." He tried to backpedal once he noticed her embarrassment. "I mean, I understand why you... I know what it's like... I mean..."

"Yeah," she said dully. "I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, I guess I wasn't." She shook her head and stared down at the icy floor of the igloo. "I wasn't thinking at all."

Sokka placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's all in the past now, Katara. Like I said, things are going to get better. We can only go up from here."

"We?" His words brought another smile to her lips.

"_We_," he said firmly. "I may not be pregnant, but I'm here for you always. We're in this together."

Katara laughed at the thought of a pregnant Sokka. "I'm glad you're not pregnant, Sokka. That would be very awkward."

He smirked. "Okay, well that's not exactly what I meant..."

"I know what you meant," she assured him. "I always know what you mean, Sokka. Actually... it's rather scary..."

"Hah _hah_," he laughed sarcastically. "Very funny."

She wrapped her arms around her brother and hugged him tightly. "Thank _you_, too. I really don't think I could have faced Dad without you here with me."

He shook his head in disagreement. "You're stronger than you think, Katara. You should never forget that."

"Hmm," she hummed noncommittally.

"Listen... don't worry about what Dad said, okay? I heard it all. I was gonna come in, but Gran-Gran... well, I figured she'd sound better than me," he explained.

"That's okay," she told him, shaking her head. "I appreciate everything she said. And I appreciate everything _you've_ done, as well. I really do."

"Hey, what do I always say?" he said with a grin. "That's what family's for."

* * *

**So this chapter is dedicated to my replacement muse, MegaPotterBender, as well as teamkataang, whose idea it was to have a bit of Katara/Sokka in this chapter (:**

**I didn't know how exactly to end it, so... END! Haha. This chapter was kinda long, but I wanted to throw them all together so... Oh well. On to the next. Sorry it's taken so long to update; this thinking thing is hard without a daggone muse. Gahhh!**

**Review. Or I'll give up totally. Promise ;)**


	9. Chapter 8

_**An Unexpected Turn Around**_

The older woman hobbled down the halls to where she knew her son would be. She knew him too well. She found him sitting at his desk in his newly built study, elbows resting on desk and head in hands.

"Now, Hakoda. Don't you think you may be overreacting?"

"Mother, now is not the time..."

"Now is the _only_ time. If you send your daughter away right now, you may lose her forever - _and_ your future grandchild. Is that something you are willing to give up?"

The Water Tribe chief sighed heavily. "Mother, she's disgraced this family..."

Kanna clicked her teeth at her son. "You don't even believe that yourself. You say the words like you don't mean them." She paused for a moment, gazing down at him sympathetically. "I understand you are upset and disappointed and confused, but she is still your daughter. Your _only_ daughter."

Hakoda shook his head but did not look up, stubborn old man that he was. "They're to be married, you know," she went on. "Your daughter and Aang. They will wed here, within the week. Does that make it any easier for you?"

"Mother..." he groaned.

"Oh, enough of this dramatic cry-babying, Hakoda," she reprimanded him harshly. "You know, more than once I thought Kya might come to me, crying and pregnant, before you two were wed. You could hardly keep your hands off one another."

"Mother!" His head snapped up at last, a look of shock plastered on his face.

"You'll lie to my face and tell me that it's not true?" she challenged, hands on her hips. Despite her advanced age, she knew how imposing she could be to her middle aged son. A mother never quite lost her touch.

"Well, I... I..."

"Children make mistakes, Hakoda. But they never stop _being_ your children. You'll never stop loving them, either. So don't make her feel that way," she said, her voice finally softening. "And as the Chief of the tribe, you have more power than you know. If you accept your daughter and her pregnancy, and you bless this marriage, the rest of the villagers will have no choice but to accept it as well. This is something you know full well."

"But I..."

"No more 'buts,' son. You need to go to your daughter and make things right."

"Mother-"

"_Now_," she interrupted firmly. "I didn't ask for argument from you, young man." She saw the corners of his mouth twist up into a wry smile at her choice of words and knew that she had won. He got to his feet and came around the desk to stand in front of his mother. "Now I know you love that girl as much as I love you. And right now, without her mother to help her through this difficult time, she needs her father more than anything. Don't you dare deny that girl her father."

Hakoda nodded slowly. "Yes, Mother... You're... You're right. Thank you." He gripped her shoulders gently and leaned forward to kiss her wrinkled forehead. "I love you, too, Mother."

Kanna smiled in smug satisfaction. "I know."

**

* * *

**

Katara sat staring at her toes as Aang squirmed anxiously next to her. She wanted to yell at him and tell him to sit still, but after the day they'd had, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was getting closer to losing her temper, however, when they were interrupted by the abrupt entrance of her father.

"Katara." He stopped suddenly and stood there for a moment, just looking at her. Fear began to build up in her throat as she anxiously awaited his next words. "I..." His shoulders slumped at last, and he hung his head. "I'm sorry."

Katara's jaw dropped. "You... you _what_?"

"I apologize. I reacted too harshly. And I know that what you need right now..." She could tell her father was struggling for the right words, but she greatly appreciated the effort. "I know you need love and support and... I wasn't very receptive. And I am sorry for that."

"Do you... do you really mean it, Dad?" she said, unable to keep the shock from her voice. Glancing at Aang, she noticed that his face held the same expression hers did.

"I... I mean it. And if the two of you want to get married here... Well, I'm all for it. And I'll be glad to lend my assistance in any way I can."

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Where was the ashamed and disappointed father she had spoken with only moments before? Her grandmother could certainly work miracles. "Dad, I - I don't know what to say, I mean - wow!" She leapt to her feet and ran into her father's arms. "Thank you, Dad! Thank you!" He wrapped her up in his arms and rested his head on her chin.

"Katara... No matter what, you will always be my daughter, and I will always love you. I want you to remember that. Even when I'm upset with you," he assured her lovingly, sending a warm feeling from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. She really couldn't have hoped for a better outcome.

"Sir..." She heard Aang shuffling to his feet behind her. "You can't imagine what this means to us... Your support, I mean. And I'm truly sorry because... well, it's my fault, too."

Katara turned to face the man she would soon marry. "Aang..."

"It is," he said honestly, shrugging his shoulders. "And, sir, I just want you to know that I have no intentions of _ever_ leaving Katara to handle this on her own. We got pregnant together, and we're in this together. She's going to be stuck with me for the rest of her life," he added with a small smile.

Katara felt like her heart might overflow with emotion. She knew it was probably just hormones, but she felt like she was once again on the verge of tears.

"Well, Aang, I am glad to hear that," her father replied calmly, not removing his arm from around his daughter. "It shows great maturity on your part. And I am also sorry for the things I said about you."

Aang dismissed her father's words with a wave of his hand. "I fully understand. If it were my daughter, I would probably be worried about the same thing. It was nothing personal."

Hakoda nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I appreciate your understanding. Now look..." He glanced down at his daughter and smiled ruefully. "I hear I'm to be giving you away very shortly. So it sounds like we've got quite a bit of planning to do."

"Yes," Katara agreed, grinning at her father and then at her future husband. "Yes, we do."

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**Awhhh don't ya just love happy endings?**

**Well too bad, cuz it ain't ending yet! It's just beginning! Heeee hee.**

**This update was rather short, but I think it kinda sits on its own so here ya go. **


	10. Chapter 9

_**Unexpected Complications**_

She took a deep breath in as she carefully examined her appearance in the mirror. Kanna had made her a lovely dark blue gown with white trimmings that shimmered as the snow did in the glow of the moon. A shotgun wedding was _never_ exactly what she had pictured for herself, but here she was, and she was going to make the best of it.

A shotgun wedding. She swallowed hard.

Kanna had whipped up an entire wedding, reception and all, within just a few days, while Katara stood numbly to the side and watched. She could hardly believe that _by the end of the week_, she would be the Avatar's wife.

"Oh no," she whispered, grasping blindly for a nearby chair. She was barely able to seat herself without slipping right into the floor of Kanna's igloo.

She couldn't decide which was the weightier responsibility - raising a child or being the Avatar's wife? Yes, realistically, she had known this day would eventually come. Aunt Wu had told her she would marry a powerful bender, and she remembered how her mind had raced frantically with all the possibilities. Would he be tall, dark, handsome, wise, loving, romantic...? And then when Aang had stopped the volcanic eruption from destroying the village... Sokka's words had struck a serious chord with her.

_"Man, sometimes I forget what a powerful bender that kid is... Aang is one powerful bender."_

_"I suppose he is,"_ she had said in a sort of dazed awe.

If only Aunt Wu had warned her about the circumstances _surrounding_ her marriage...!

She took another deep breath to steady herself, and then she felt a warm hand press down on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Suki asked gently.

She exhaled slowly. "No," she responded honestly in a shaky voice. "I'm not. But I don't have a choice."

Suki smiled warmly. "You always have a choice, Katara. This time, I'm sure you're making the right one."

Katara smiled her gratitude, but her smile quickly faded as the weight of the day's events began to weigh upon her again. "I'm so scared, Suki." Her heart began to race in her chest as she pondered the What-Ifs. "What if we're not happy together? What if we can't do this? What if I-"

"Shhh!" Suki soothed, smoothing Katara's hair. "It will be okay. I will be by your side, and Aang will be by your side. And Sokka and Toph and Gran-Gran and your father. We're all on your side," she promised, "and we're all here when you need us. So there's no way you can fail." She punctuated her promise with a smile, and Katara felt a slight measure of the anxiety lift from her chest.

"Right. You're right," she said, more to convince herself than anything else. "We can do this. We'll be... fine. It'll be okay."

"That's exactly what I like to hear, solider." Suki offered her hand to Katara. "Now let's get out there and show those people just how beautiful you really are."

Katara was grateful for Suki's encouraging words, but she couldn't help but think that words wouldn't quite be enough.

Her father was there to walk her down the aisle, his facial expression a strange mixture of pride and sorrow. Katara took his arm and fiercely instructed herself, _Do not cry_. It worked for a moment, but she feared that moment would not last. When her eyes met Aang's, she saw no fear. She saw no second-guessing. She saw no apprehension, no awkwardness, no ambivalence. All she saw was unadulterated love. It made her eyes widen and sent her heart plummeting into her feet.

The ceremony proceeded as usual. She hardly heard a word of it. Her eyes were trained on Aang's, on his quiet half-smile, his prominent blue arrow, the way he bit his lip every now and then as if he couldn't wait to kiss her. It was entirely overwhelming. Somehow, she remembered her vows and mumbled her way through them, but Aang didn't seem to mind her anxiety, if he even noticed it at all. At that moment, she couldn't decide whether she wanted to slap him or kiss him.

And then it was all over, and they were being presented to the village as husband and wife, and then it was Aang's time to kiss her. He took a step towards her, took hold of her hand, and smiled a most beautiful smile down at her.

And then everything went black.

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**Hahahahahaha don't ya love cliffhangers?**

**I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack! Last update 1-29-11 - That's a long stinkin time! (Today being 8-29-12.) In my defense, if you read my other recently updated fics, I had a baby, blah blah blah etc etc. Actually, I started writing this BECAUSE I had just found out I was pregnant and had baby on the brain :) Hah!**

**All right. Review. Or I'll abandon you all again. (No I won't, I really did miss you turribly!)**


	11. Chapter 10

_**Unexpected **_**_Accommodations_**

Katara woke in a cool, dark room. The lone light in the room came from a single candle on a table next to the bed on which she lay. She tried to sit up, but a hand on her arm held her back.

"Just rest," came Aang's soothing voice from the darkness. He leaned forward until she could see him by the light of the candle. "You fainted. The healers say you haven't been drinking and eating enough."

She thought back on the day's events. It was true. She had been so distracted with the wedding, she'd hardly eaten anything. She blamed her bad nerves. Suddenly, a horrible thought struck her. "The baby-!" she gasped, her hands flying to her abdomen protectively.

Aang's hand found hers. "The baby is fine. You just need to rest."

"Our wedding...?" she questioned weakly.

"We're married. But we had to skip the reception," he chuckled. "You didn't seem very interested in partying at the time."

She allowed herself a small smile at his words. "No. I guess not."

His expression turned serious as he smoothed the hair from her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Lightheaded," she admitted with a sigh. "I can't believe I was so stupid."

"It's okay," he assured her kindly. "I'm just happy you're okay. You had me so worried..."

She bit her lip anxiously. "I bet. I'm sorry."

Aang shook his head. "Don't be sorry. Just as long as you and our baby are okay..."

_Our baby._ Her head spun at the thought. She still couldn't believe that they had built a life together. The idea was staggering. And now she was married. She hardly knew if she was ready for any of this. Fear encroached on her heart. She didn't dare let Aang see her apprehension; he seemed so absolutely sure of this, of everything, of the marriage, of himself... "Yeah," she croaked. Her throat felt dry and scratchy. "Can I get some water?"

Moments later, he was helping her sit up and guiding a cool metal cup to her mouth. "Drink slowly and carefully," he commanded, his voice laced with love and concern. "Don't overwhelm yourself." She complied obediently and allowed him to take the cup away when she was finished.

"Where are we?" she asked, peering into the darkness of the room. Aang sent out a few small shots of fire to light the torches along the wall.

"Welcome to your new home," he said, smiling sheepishly.

"My what?"

"I know it's not much, but your father and grandmother had it built for us - for you. I know we have the house back in Ba Sing Se, but we can stay here whenever we like, now." He looked down at her shocked expression and shrugged. "It was supposed to be a surprise. But... you kinda passed out."

She gazed around curiously at the room she in which she had awakened. It was like any other igloo bedroom, small but cozy, with sparse furniture and a woven rug at the foot of the bed. A cloth was the only barrier between the bedroom and whatever lay on the other side.

"Can I see it?" she asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

Aang grinned and nodded his head. "Sure." He came to her side, taking firm hold of her arm and helping her out of bed.

"So this..." she said breathlessly, "this is _our_ bedroom? And this..." She looked down at the looming piece of furniture next to her.

"This is _our_ bed," he finished for her in a subdued tone. She didn't miss the longing in his voice. Unbidden trepidation crept into her throat and threatened to cut off her voice.

"Oh," was all she could manage.

The living room was slightly larger, furnished with a beautiful sofa carved from ice and covered with a plush blue cushion. "That was a present from Sokka," Aang pointed out, running his hand along the back of the sofa. The center of the room was dominated by a fire pit whose flames and smoke were given an outlet through an opening in the roof. "It's not much," Aang acknowledged, "but we can fix it up and make it however you want it to be."

"Wow," she breathed, amazed at what had been accomplished without her knowledge in the span of a week.

"There's more, though," Aang informed her eagerly, grinning from ear to ear. "Come on."

He brought her to the next room; the doorway was also covered by a modest cloth. When he swept the curtain back, she couldn't contain the dramatic gasp that escaped her lips.

It was a nursery.

In the center of the room, there was a beautifully carved crib made of ice, thickly lined with plush white blankets. A mobile hung from the ceiling with emblems of the Water Tribes and Air Nations circling leisurely over the crib. On one side of the room was a changing table, and on the other, a wooden rocking chair beneath a slow burning torch.

"Oh," Katara gasped, touching her fingers to her lips.

"Do you like it?" he pressed, holding on to her elbow.

"I... I..." She could not find the words to describe how she felt. Almost hesitantly, she stepped into the room and walked to the crib that would soon hold her baby - _her baby_! Her heart flooded with overwhelming and conflicting emotions as she ran her hand along the side of the crib. When she finally looked back at Aang, standing anxiously in the doorway with a hopeful expression on his face, she could no longer stand it.

She broke down into tears.

Somehow, she found her way into the rocking chair, and before she knew it, Aang was kneeling at her feet.

"Katara?" He took her hand in his and rubbed in slow circles. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to overwhelm you. I... That's the last thing I wanted... Please... Are you okay?"

She nodded through the tears and struggled to reign in her fluctuating emotions. "It's okay, it's just..." She took a deep breath and wiped away the last of the tears. "Hormones," she explained. "I can't... I can't help it."

He pushed himself up and lay a chaste kiss on her cheek. "I understand," he said as he returned to his kneeling position. "Is it too much too soon? We can go back to Ba Sing Se, whatever you want to do - I don't care. I just want you to be happy. If you want-"

"Aang," she interrupted him, placing a hand on his cheek. "I love it."

"You do?!" A broad smile graced his handsome features, warming her heart.

"Of course I do. It's amazing." She forced a small smile as she gazed down at her new husband. "_You're_ amazing."

He quickly got to his feet and pulled her up with him. "I'm all yours," he whispered in her ear, pressing her body up against him. She shivered involuntarily. "Let's get you back to bed. You should rest."

_Rest_. Somehow, she knew that wasn't exactly the only thing on his mind. They were married now. _Certain things_ would be expected of them - of her. She allowed herself to be guided back to the bedroom despite her reservations. He was ever so gentle as he helped her lay down on the bed and extinguished all lights in the room but for the lone candle next to the bed.

Then he was hovering over her and laying light kisses along her jaw. Her heart pounded solidly in her chest. She pressed her eyes shut and tensed ever so slightly. It was enough for him to notice. "What's wrong?" he prodded mildly, running a finger down her cheek.

"I-I'm not... I'm not ready for this... a-again..." she stammered nervously, avoiding his piercing gaze.

"Oh, Katara." He pushed himself up and away from her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"I know, I just..."

"Yeah."

She rolled onto her side and nibbled at her lip. "I'm sorry," she whispered, so quietly she thought he probably hadn't heard. His only response was a sigh, so she closed her eyes and forced herself to go to sleep.

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**Ahhhh, trouble in paradise! Reviews make me write. So. Have at it! (Let's say... what? 10 reviews til the next update? Chyes? Kay!)**


	12. Chapter 11

_**I just realized that it posted my last update as Chapter 1 instead of Chapter 11. Go back to the previous chapter to make sure you're caught up, just in case : )**_

* * *

_**An Unexpected **_**_Confrontation_**

Life for the Southern Water Tribe continued as usual after the wedding. Within days, the excitement had died down, and everyone returned to work. There was a common understanding that no one would eat if no one would work.

Katara was not allowed to work after her incident at the wedding. They allowed her to assist the healers part time upon her insistence, but Aang was especially adamant that she should not stress her body or the baby. She couldn't help the irritation within her that grew with each passing day. She wasn't an invalid, and yet they were treating her as if she were disabled. She was _pregnant_. Women got pregnant _all_ the time and had babies without any complications. Besides, she was _Katara_. What could happen to the girl who helped save the world, the woman now married to the Avatar himself?

_Married_. She shivered at the thought once more as she lazily tended to the fire in the healers' lodge. They still hadn't... consummated their marriage - and not for Aang's lack of trying. Honestly, sex was the _very_ last thing on her mind these days. She was bloated and gassy and expanding in places _nowhere_ near the womb that housed her child. She'd even had to have new boots made because her feet were too swollen to fit her old pair. She felt so far from sexy that she couldn't even _begin_ to imagine being intimate with Aang anytime soon.

And still... the disappointment in his eyes every night when she turned him down yet again... It made her cringe. This wasn't what she had wanted for them. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. They were supposed to be older, wiser, more confident when they got married - they were supposed to have time to _really_ get to know each other before children came. She wasn't supposed to be fat and ugly and... (cringe!) gassy.

She actually passed gas on him in bed just the night before. It was an accident, and she couldn't help it. He was snuggling her from behind, and when his hand pressed on her stomach, the baby kicked - _hard_. The worst part was that it sounded like a dying buffalo yak and reeked like a thousand rotting fish. Aang had laughed after first, but when he suddenly fell silent, she knew that the stench had reached his nose. She'd wanted to _die._

This morning, he had been gone when she awoke. It seemed like a blessing in disguise. She wasn't quite ready to face him. So she escaped away to the healers' lodge and pretended to be useful, even though they hardly gave her opportunity to heal. Frustrated, she threw the fire poker to the floor. She wouldn't cry - _again_. She hated crying, anyway, and since pregnancy had made it such a common occurrence, she loathed it even more. She felt weak. And stupid. And there was nothing she could do about it.

Sometimes, she even felt resentment towards the baby, and that scared her. What kind of mother would she be if she didn't love her own baby? The first kicks had stirred something in her, a new feeling that she had never felt before. But that feeling had since waned, and now irritation and impatience took its place. When she was thinking rationally, she told herself that the baby had never asked to be created, and she and Aang should _never_ have had sex in the first place. But a pregnant Katara was not exactly a rational Katara, and she was not patient or kind either. She was violent and rude and mean.

At times, she took her anger out on Aang, and the look on his face at that moment was worse than it was every night as she not-so-gently rejected him. She didn't mean the things she said - really, she didn't! But she was tired and worn down and had lost her mental filter. It was like having diarrhea of the mouth.

Speaking of diarrhea! She didn't even want to _think_ about _that_ part of pregnancy.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to look up into the eyes of her husband. "I figured you would be here," he explained as he handed her a steaming bowl. "I brought you some lunch - seaweed soup."

Her heart melted at his gentle tone. "Thank you, Aang. You really didn't have to." She accepted the bowl with more than a small degree of guilt.

He shrugged. "Of course I do. You're my wife. And the mother of my child."

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. _Why does he constantly have to remind me?_ she griped to herself. Keeping her thoughts locked securely in her head this time, she took a sip of the soup. It was so hot it nearly melted the skin off her face. With a screech, she threw the offending bowl to the floor. Soup went everywhere.

"What's the matter?" Aang cried in surprise.

"It's _hot!_ Didn't you check it?! Are you going to feed a baby soup that hot?" she snapped a bit too loudly. And here came Monster Katara again. She should stop. She _knew_ she had to stop.

"Katara, I'm sorry, I-"

"Sorry! Sorry doesn't fix the fact that my lips are probably blistered and swollen now - as if I'm not ugly enough!" She felt the eyes of the other healers on her as they quietly began to slip from the room. They knew all too well what was happening.

"You're _not_ ugly-"_  
_

She wouldn't let him finish. "Shut up! What do you know anyway?"

"Katara, I'm trying-"

"Trying to do what? Kill me? Is that what you're trying to do, kill me so you don't have to be married to me and help me raise this baby?!" she screeched, jumping to her feet.

Her stared up at her, mouth agape. "Why would you say..."

"Fine, Aang! If that's what you want, then you don't have to be with me anymore! I'll do this all by myself, just like I have been anyway."

Within seconds, he was on his feet and towering over her. "Now wait just a minute! You haven't been alone a single second of this pregnancy - not since you _finally_ told me you were pregnant!" She opened her mouth to shoot back with a sarcastic and cold remark, but he cut her off. "I'm _sick_ of this, Katara! I've _tried_ to be understanding - I've been patient and loving, and I've bent over backwards to make you happy! _Nothing_ makes you happy anymore! You're always mean, and you're always angry! And we haven't even had _sex_ since we got married! What kind of wife _does_ that to her husband?" His face was turning an intimidating shade of red, and she began to blush with shame. "What do you _want_ from me?!" he yelled, his palms upturned in front of her. "Huh?! What do you _want_?"

She bit her lip to stop the tears, but they welled up in her eyes anyway and began to spill over. She knew she was horrible. She knew she was awful to live with. She had no excuses.

At the sight of her tears, he began to lose steam. His arms dropped to his side, and he looked away from her. "I love you... more than anything. More than anything in this world, Katara. But I'm starting to think... that just isn't enough." She heard the hitch and his voice and knew he was crying, too. It felt as if the walls were crashing down around her. Her heart split in two.

"I can't do this anymore," he whispered, so quietly she almost didn't hear what he said. _Almost_. And she wished she hadn't.

He turned to leave, and she found herself frozen in place. She wanted to stop him, she wanted to hold him, to tell him that he meant everything to her, that she _couldn't_ do this alone - that he was right, that she was wrong, that she was sorry. And yet she let him go. She let him walk out of the lodge without a word._  
_

The healers had all abandoned her as well. She was alone. She suspected, however, that they were hovering nearby outside and had heard every word of their argument. They had probably enjoyed it. She wasn't exactly the friendliest person to any of them, either. She didn't want to have to walk past them on her way out and try to pretend that she didn't know they had heard, but the prospect of standing there while they all reentered the building - which they inevitably would - was too much to bear. And so she turned on her heel and briskly exited the lodge. To her surprise, they were all crowded around the door. Her face flushed hot with embarrassment, but she pushed past them anyway.

She couldn't go home. She didn't want to see her family. And so she stole away to the only place she knew that would be of comfort to her in her loneliest hour.

* * *

**Moar trouble? Would I do that to my favorite couple? (Snicker, snicker.) Heck yes, I would! I love drama, donchu? (At least in stories...) Review nao! And sorry for the late update. I'm running a 5K tomorrow (Breast Cancer!) and have been training and busy and blah blah blah.**


	13. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

The waves crashed angrily against the cliff walls, matching her inner turmoil with their cacophonous thundering. The biting wind froze the tears on the corners of her eyes before they could slide down her cheeks. She was losing her mind. She was losing everything. How would it look if her marriage to the Avatar ended so swiftly after it had begun? She would be back to square one... a single, pregnant soon-to-be mother. Her heart cracked at the thought.

_It's not supposed to be like this!_ she thought again. _How did things get so messy?_

Her hormones had turned her life into a disaster. This entire _thing_ was a disaster. She wished she could start again. She wished she could go back to that day and undo what they had done. They just weren't ready. They weren't ready for sex, they weren't ready to be married, and they most certainly _were not_ ready for a baby. She didn't think she ever _would_ be ready. She was a control freak, this much was true. And yet her entire life had spiraled completely out of her control. Factor in the raging hormones, and her ridiculous mood swings suddenly made sense. It didn't make it any easier, but it made sense.

She wished she had explained this to Aang before... before...

The tears became broken sobs as she bent her head and let her emotions consume her. Why had she been so stubborn and stupid? Why had she allowed their love to become so complicated and destructive?

There had to be a way to fix this. There had to be a way to make things right. She loved him, she really did. But she was so afraid, and so confused. Instead of sharing her feelings with the man who loved her most, she had withdrawn into herself and pushed him away. In the process, she had made a fool of herself. Who knew what the rest of the healers must think of her. She couldn't bear to think of it.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and struggled to center herself. She sought the peace and calm that had persisted in eluding her as of late. Maybe if she could fix herself, she could fix her marriage. She lifted her arms at her side and let the breeze tangle itself around her, wrapping her in its cold yet soothing hands. For the first time in a long time, she finally felt like everything was going to be okay.

In the corner of her mind, she heard the rapidly approaching footsteps, but they did not register until a familiar voice echoed across the frozen tundra.

"Katara! No! Don't!"

Jarred by that familiar voice ringing with anxiety, she turned with a start. And then she heard a sickening crack.

She gazed into Aang's fearful gray eyes for what felt like the longest second she had ever lived, and then the ice gave out beneath her.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

It was such a strange sensation, falling. Fluffy white clouds stretched across the bright blue sky, floating lazily as they watched her steady descent. For a moment, she didn't even think about what awaited her at the end of her free fall. She only felt an odd peace.

And then the air beneath her was moving, and then she was no longer falling. She was _flying_.

At the cliff's edge, she saw Aang, fiercely bending the air around her in determined concentration as she slowly floated closer to him. The fear in his eyes had been replaced by something much stronger. She suddenly realized she had finally started breathing again, without even realizing she had ever stopped.

He captured her in his open arms, and the two of them fell back onto the snow and ice together. He exhaled heavily as he cradled her like a child in his lap. "Don't you ever do that again," he ordered shakily. "Don't scare me like that."

"I was just... I was..." she tried to explain, but her words sounded leaden and lame.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized fervently, burying his face in her hair. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did. I didn't expect you to... to..."

Suddenly, she realized what exactly he had thought and why his eyes had been full of such blatant fear. "I wasn't going to jump," she offered sheepishly. "I was... trying to calm down."

He exhaled again, his warm breath a stark contrast against the cold air surrounding them. "I was so afraid. I came to find you because I wanted to apologize," he explained, starting to ramble. "I realize that you're going through so much, and you're afraid, and I'm afraid, and this is hard for both of us, and I should be more patient with you, and I just-"

"It's okay." She reached up to touch his cheek with her gloved hand. "It's okay, Aang."

"No." He shook his head stubbornly. "It's not. We can do better than this. _I_ can do better than this. It's okay that we haven't had sex. I shouldn't expect so much from you. I mean... I realize, this isn't what we had planned. This isn't what you wanted. It's hard on both of us. And I should be supporting you-"

"Stop, Aang." She placed a firm hand on his chest and realized just how badly he was shaking. "You can't blame yourself for everything. I've been keeping you at a safe distance, but I couldn't see the damage I was doing. Can you forgive me?"

"Katara," he breathed, bringing her mouth to his. Her mind immediately went blank at their first _real_ kiss in quite some time. His lips were cold and insistent, and yet she felt warmed to the core. His arms tightened around her as he pulled her closer to him. She put up no resistance when his tongue pressed into her mouth and sent a tingle down her spine. Spirits, she had missed this. She slid her hand down to his neck and nibbled gently at his lower lip, eliciting a small groan from deep in Aang's throat. The sound alone took her breath away.

He broke away from the kiss abruptly, peppering her cheeks with smaller kisses. "I love you, Katara," he promised her with a desperate insistence.

"I love you, too," she promised in return.

"Let's go home," he said. She answered him with a nod, and he carefully helped her to her feet so they could begin the cold journey home.

* * *

Katara watched her husband sleep in the flickering candlelight. His muscled chest rose and fell steadily beneath the blanket. She was mesmerized by his handsomeness and chiseled physique. Leisurely, she thought to herself that she had gotten quite lucky when Aang agreed to be hers forever, even before she knew she was pregnant. They had promised themselves to each other long ago, though they had not known they would be married so soon. Reflecting on their long conversation that afternoon, she felt the warmth in her grow. He had been so kind and loving and understanding. They had talked about their fears as newlyweds and soon-to-be parents, and what they each expected from the future. She couldn't have fathomed the depth of his emotions and fears. It made her feel a thousand times better to know that he felt much the same as she did.

If only they had sat down long ago, they could have avoided so much heartache. She had promised him to never be so stubborn again, and he'd laughed, taking her chin in his hands and saying, "If you weren't so stubborn, you wouldn't be the Katara I love so much."

And they still had not consummated their marriage. They had gone to bed as usual, but when he kissed her goodnight, she had let the embrace escalate into something much, much more. Their movements were clumsy and hurried as their limbs tangled in their frantic quest to be close to each other. That was when the contractions had started.

They weren't horribly painful, but they were definitely noticeable. As soon as she'd scrunched her face and clutched her stomach, his hands had fallen from her. He demanded to know what was wrong, and she had to tell him. He adamantly shook his head and declared that they weren't going to do anything to put the baby in danger. She wasn't due for another two months. Part of her had been disappointed, but admittedly there was another part that only felt relief. The relief was what guilted her, until he kissed her forehead gently and said that it was okay, there would be time for lovemaking later. She melted into his arms immediately, and they fell asleep that way.

It wasn't long before she was awoken by the baby's insistent kicks and a sudden urge to pee. She wouldn't miss these moments after the baby was born, though she probably would miss what little sleep she was allowed between kicks. And, at any rate, it gave her time to watch over Aang as he slept. He was so vulnerable and yet so peaceful in his sleep. She wanted to kiss him and hold him, but she loathed to wake him. He would probably be getting just as little sleep as she after the baby arrived.

With a sigh, she ran a finger across his chest muscles, unable to resist the temptation. He stirred beneath her light touch, and she soon found herself looking into his sleepy gray eyes.

"Everything okay?" he asked, rubbing at his eyes.

"Everything is perfect," she whispered with a smile.

He looked up at her for a moment before his face broke into a drowsy grin. "Come here," he demanded gently, and she immediately acquiesced, falling into his strong arms once more. "I love you," he mumbled, very obviously falling back into sleep easily.

She smiled against his chest and snuggled against him. "I know."

* * *

**Well I figured I'd stop being so dang mean and let the lovins begin. But you know it won't last long so enjoy it! And sorry for the delay. My muse hates me and dumped me for all of NaNoWriMo so I accomplished quite literally nothing. Ironic, eh? Or maybe I'm just neurotic.**

**Also, I'm tired of thinking of "Unexpected" chapter titles, so I'm doing away with them. All of them. Carry on.**


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